The austin police department (APD) will bolster officer recruitment, hiring, and retention through implementation of the FY23 CPD youth-led recruiting model (cylrm); a community based, youth-led…

The Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Program awarded the City of Austin $175,000 on October 1, 2025, under the Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants program (CFDA 16.710) to implement the FY23 Community Youth-Led Recruiting Model, a youth-engagement initiative designed to bolster officer recruitment, hiring, and retention for the Austin Police Department.

The Austin Police Department will deliver consistent, ongoing programming to high school students that establishes working relationships with officers and creates pathways for high school graduates to remain connected with APD until they reach 20.5 years of age and become eligible to join the force. The program will reach thousands of Austin youth through in-person events and social media engagement. APD projects that 50 or more Bridge Academy graduates will join the Austin Police Force in FY2027–2028.

Performance occurs in Austin, Texas 78701, with a period of performance from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. The award is a Project Grant.

The austin police department (APD) will bolster officer recruitment, hiring, and retention through implementation of the FY23 CPD youth-led recruiting model (cylrm); a community based, youth-led recruiting model that will provide 1) consistent, reliable and ongoing programming for high school students to engage and establish working relationships with officers and 2) pathways for high school graduates to remain connected with APD until the time they are eligible to join the force at 20.5 years of age. The APD anticipates reaching thousands of austin youth through in-person events and social media and the ability to sustain the proposed pipeline in partnership with the community and local leadership. Ultimately, APD believes that model implementation will result in a reliable pool of viable local candidates and project that 50+ APD bridge academy graduates will join the austin police force in FY2027-2028.